Pocket lighter head assembly



Aug. 1, 1950 c. A. FORTIN POCKET LIGHTER HEAD ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 27, 1950 'IIb/'fill lli!!! 1%@ fila/1w Patented Aug. 1, 1950 u roonaj'rLIdHTEn IrEAD AssEMLY l yVl'lharles'Ii0rI:in,Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignee to Presto Lighters Limited, Montreal,

The present invention pertains to-,a `novel pocketlighter and particularly to the head assembly thereof.

The head assembly is ordinarily carried by a removable top plate. which has one end fastened to the top of the lighter body by a. set screw. The head assemblycarries an operating lever formed with a cap that covers the wick tube in the top of the body. Often the screw holes are not accurately positioned,. and consequently the.

cap does .noti fit accurately fon Ithe wick tube,` relsulting not 4onlyin loss. ofi liquid fuel .but also in the unpleasant odor of it in the clothing.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a more accurate assembly of the top plate on the body and without tedious or costly operations. This object is accomplished generally by dispensing with the screw hole in the body and employing instead a tube extending from bottom to top of the body. In the lower end of the tube is inserted an elongated nut having lateral play in the tube. The top plate carries a suspended long screw also having play in the tube and adapted to screw into the nut. Thus, the nut and screw can be adjusted laterally until the cap on the operating lever fits the wick tube accurately, and the screw then tightened in the 1 nut.

Ordinarily a special tool is required to remove the screw for dismantling, since it is covered by the lever. In the present case, however, the lower end of the nut has a screw driver slot, and thus no special tool is necessary.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is a side elevation, and

Figure 4 is a partial section.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In the several views is shown the usual body I of a pocket lighter. The body is hollow and contains an absorbent material 2 for liquid fuel, as shown in Figure 2 and known in the art.

The top assembly is carried on a plate 3 having sides or wings 4. Between the sides is pivotally mounted at 5 the operating lever E which operates the usual striking wheel not shown but well known in the art. One end of the lever carries a cap 'I for covering the wick tube 8 mounted in the top of the body I.

A shouldered stud 9 is iitted in the top of the body, and the forward end of the plate 3 `is con- .cave at III to straddle the stud beneath its shoulder. Ordinarily the `rear endof the plate and the .top are apertured, and theparts held together by :a set screw. However, it frequently happens that .the two apertures are not` accurately located.; As Aa result, since the plate carries the lever B, the cap 'I does notrlt properly on the `wick tube` 8, and Ythere is leakage of .fuel into the clothing, with obvious waste and inconvenience.` Otherwise, if .the apertures areto be `located accurately, a jtime-consuming and. expensive operation at the factory is required.

These difficulties are overcome in the present invention by mounting a tube I I through the body I from top to bottom and at the position where the top plate is usually fastened, as shown in Figure 4. The top and bottom of the body are peened at Il into the tube. Into the lower end of the tube is inserted an elongated nut I2 spaced from the wall of the tube because of the peening, as shown.

The rear end of the plate 3 has an aperture I3 through which is passed a long screw I4 having a head I5 seated in the aperture I3. The lower end ofthe screw has an extended pin I 6 for guiding it into the tapped recess I1 of the nut, and the screw itself is threaded into the cavity.

The shank of the screw is loose in the tube II and therefore has lateral play therein, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4. Likewise the nut I2 has play in the tube, as the lower peening II permits some swivelling. In assembling the top structure upon the body I, the plate 3 is first set so that the cap I accurately ts on the tube 8. The screw I4 is then screwed into the tube I2 and the proper adjustment is thereby maintained.

Ordinarily the top assembly is removed by turning the top screw. Since the latter is covered by the rear end of the lever 6, a special tool is required. In the invention, no such special tool is needed, since the lower end of the nut I2 has a screwdriver slot I8 that can be engaged by a screwdriver while the screw head I5 is held against turning.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pocket lighter comprising a body. a separable top plate thereon, a wick tube in the top of said body, an operating lever carried by said top plate, a cap for said tube carried by one end of said lever, another tube extending from top to bottom of said body substantially below the other end of said lever, an elongated nut inserted in the second tube from the bottom thereof and having play in said tube, a screw carried by said Aplate and receivable in said nut and loosely 'in said tube, and a pin extending from the free end of said screw for guiding the screw into said nut.

2. A pocket lighter comprising a body, :a shoul-e dered stud in the top thereof, a separable top plate concave at one end to -straddle said stud, a wick tube in the top of ysaid body, an operata ing lever carried by said top plate, a cap for said. tube carried by one end of said lever, .another tube extending from top to bottom of said body substantially below the other end of said lever, an elongated nut inserted in the second tube from `the bottom thereof and having play in said tube, and a screw carried by said plate and receivable yin Vsaid nut and loosely in said tube.

3. A pocket lighter comprising a body, a lshouldered :stud 1in the 'top thereof, 'a separable top plate zconcave yat one end to 'straddle said stud, la wick tube in the top of `'said body., an operating lever carried by said top plate, `a cap for said tube carried by one end of `said lever, another vtube yextend-ing from vtop to bottom of `said body substantial-ly below the other end of said lever, an elongated nut :inserted in the .second lli .Number 30 1,844,481

4 tube from the bottom thereof and having play in said tube, a screw carried by said plate and receivable in said nut and loosely in said tube, and a pin extending from the free end of said screw for guiding the screw into said nut.

4. A 'pocket lighter comprising a body, a separable top plate thereon, a wick tube in the top of said body, an operating lever carried by said vtop plate, a cap 'for said tube carried by one end of said lever, another tube extending from top `to bottom of said body substantially below the other end of said lever, an elongated nut inserted 'in the second tube from the bottom thereof `and having 'play in said tube, a screw carried by said plate .and receivable in said nut and loosely in said tube, and a pin extending from the free end of seid screw for guiding the screw into said nut, the upper end of said screw being substantially covered by said lever, and the lower end of said nut having an exposed screwfdriver slot.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of `record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rogers Feb. 9, 1932 

